Property development rarely begins with a finished building and a working broadband connection.

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Quite the opposite.

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A developer may take possession of an empty house, flat, commercial building or development site months before the property is ready for occupation.

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The previous internet service has usually ended.

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The building may be stripped out.

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Electrical services are changing.

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Walls and floors are being opened.

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The final position of the router and data network may not even have been decided.

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Yet throughout the project, reliable internet can be extremely useful.

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Starlink gives property developers another way to get a project connected without waiting for the final fixed broadband installation.

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Using satellite internet, a suitable Starlink business service can provide connectivity independently of the conventional fibre, cable or telephone line serving the property.

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For developers who repeatedly acquire, refurbish and manage properties, that flexibility can be particularly attractive.

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Internet From the Day You Complete

 

Think about the normal development process.

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You complete the purchase.

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The previous owner leaves.

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Their broadband service ends.

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Your team starts work.

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From almost the first day, there are reasons to have internet at the property.

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You may need access to:

• Architectural drawings

• Structural information

• Specifications

• Planning documents

• Building Regulations information

• Cloud based project files

• Email

• Video meetings

• CCTV

• Smart security

• Heating controls

• Property management systems

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Waiting several weeks for conventional broadband can feel increasingly unnecessary when the property may be changing substantially anyway.

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Temporary Internet During Property Development

 

A development project might last three months.

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Or twelve months.

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During that period, permanent broadband may not be the priority.

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The final service entrance might move.

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The existing telephone cable may be removed.

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A rear extension could alter the internal layout.

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An electrical rewire may change the position of every data point in the property.

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Rather than installing the final broadband connection too early, a temporary internet solution allows the development to remain connected while those decisions are still being made.

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When the project reaches completion, you can then install the permanent home network properly.

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Connectivity During Refurbishment

 

This is one of the clearest use cases.

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A major refurbishment increasingly depends upon digital information.

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Architects issue drawings electronically.

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Engineers send calculations and details.

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Building Control information is accessed online.

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Photographs are uploaded.

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Variations are emailed.

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Products are ordered from site.

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Video calls take place between the project and office.

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Even a relatively small residential development can generate hundreds of documents and photographs.

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Having reliable internet at the property makes accessing that information considerably easier.

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A Connected Project Office Without Permanent Broadband

 

Not every development has a formal site office.

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On many residential projects, the temporary office may simply be a table in one of the rooms.

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Laptop.

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Plans.

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Printer.

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Phones.

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Perhaps a tablet.

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Add reliable internet and that room becomes a functioning temporary project office.

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When the project changes, the office can change with it.

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That is much more suited to the reality of residential development than assuming the property needs a conventional long term broadband arrangement from the beginning.

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Internet for Empty Properties

 

Developers frequently own properties that are temporarily unoccupied.

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Perhaps work has not started.

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Planning permission is still being obtained.

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The contractor is between phases.

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The property is waiting to be marketed.

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Or the completed development is awaiting sale or letting.

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Internet can still provide useful infrastructure during those periods.

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It can support:

• CCTV

• Alarm systems

• Video doorbells

• Leak detection

• Temperature monitoring

• Smart heating

• Access control

• Remote monitoring

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That means connectivity can have value throughout the development cycle, not simply when people are physically working inside the building.

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Property Security During Development

 

An empty development property can contain significant value.

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Tools.

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Materials.

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Boilers.

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Electrical equipment.

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Kitchen units.

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Appliances.

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And eventually the finished property itself.

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Internet connected security allows developers and managers to keep an eye on the site remotely.

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The exact security arrangement will depend on the project, but having an internet connection available gives you considerably more options.

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Keep Heating and Monitoring Online

 

Development projects are not occupied like normal homes.

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There may be days when nobody visits.

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During winter, maintaining appropriate temperatures can matter.

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Water leaks can become expensive very quickly.

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Internet connected monitoring can help property owners check certain systems remotely, depending on the equipment installed.

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That can be particularly useful during the later stages of a refurbishment when expensive finishes have already been installed.

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Starlink for Residential Property Developers

 

Residential developers are particularly well suited to this type of connectivity because individual projects are often temporary.

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You may purchase:

• A tired flat

• A Victorian house

• A bungalow

• A probate property

• A conversion opportunity

• A property requiring an extension

• A building being converted into several units

• You improve it.

• You sell or refinance it.

• Then you move on to the next project.

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Traditional broadband is designed around somebody remaining at one address.

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Property development is built around moving from one address to another.

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That difference is exactly why flexible connectivity is worth considering.

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Internet During Extensions and Major Alterations

 

An extension can interfere with existing broadband infrastructure surprisingly easily.

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The incoming cable may run through an area being demolished.

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The router may be located on a wall that disappears.

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Telephone points may be redundant.

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The final network arrangement may form part of an entirely new electrical design.

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Starlink provides another route to the internet while the physical building around it is being changed.

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That gives the developer time to plan the permanent system properly rather than protecting outdated cabling simply because it happens to be there.

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Internet for New Build Development

 

The same principle can apply before a newly constructed property has its permanent telecommunications infrastructure available.

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As soon as power and a suitable installation location are available, satellite internet may provide another route to connectivity.

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That can support project management and monitoring before the eventual occupant's permanent broadband solution is installed.

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For larger developments, the network design will obviously require considerably more planning than a single residential refurbishment.

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Internet During Conversion Projects

 

Property conversions can be particularly disruptive.

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A house becomes flats.

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Commercial accommodation becomes residential.

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A large dwelling becomes an HMO.

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An old building is extensively remodelled.

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In these circumstances, the original broadband infrastructure may have little relevance to the finished development.

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Trying to preserve it during the works can therefore make little sense.

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Temporary connectivity allows the project to function while the permanent telecommunications infrastructure is designed around the finished scheme.

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Architects, Engineers and Consultants on Site

 

Developers do not work alone.

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A project may involve:

• Architectural designers

• Structural engineers

• Building Control inspectors

• Party wall surveyors

• Energy assessors

• Project managers

• Quantity surveyors

• Specialist contractors

• Many will arrive with phones, tablets or laptops.

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Being able to access project information immediately from the property can make meetings and site inspections more productive.

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Upload Site Photographs Immediately

 

Development generates photographs.

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Before work.

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During demolition.

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Structural work.

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First fix.

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Insulation.

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Services.

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Fire stopping.

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Waterproofing.

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Finishes.

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Completion.

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Increasingly these records are stored online.

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A connected project makes it possible to upload photographs and documentation while people are still at the property rather than relying on somebody remembering to do it later.

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Video Meetings From the Property

 

There are times when showing somebody the actual problem is considerably easier than trying to describe it.

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A contractor finds something unexpected.

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The engineer is somewhere else.

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The designer wants to see the existing condition.

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A live video call can resolve questions that might otherwise require another site visit.

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For that to work well, you need a usable internet connection at the property.

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Internet for Marketing the Finished Development

 

The value of connectivity does not disappear when construction finishes.

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The project moves into another phase.

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Photography.

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Viewings.

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Sales.

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Letting.

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Staging.

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Perhaps a show home.

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Internet can support that process too.

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A completed property can be fully connected while prospective purchasers or tenants are visiting, even before the ultimate long term broadband arrangement has been decided.

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Make the Finished Property Internet Ready

 

Developers already think about what buyers want.

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Good kitchens.

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Bathrooms.

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Heating.

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Lighting.

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Energy efficiency.

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Storage.

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Increasingly, connectivity deserves a place on that list.

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If you are carrying out a comprehensive refurbishment, it may make sense to design the finished property with:

• Good router positioning

• Data cabling

• Strong WiFi coverage

• Home office connectivity

• Connections for televisions

• Smart home infrastructure

• Security systems

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Temporary satellite internet can keep the development online while that permanent network is being built.

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From Development to Rental Property

 

Some developers sell.

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Others retain.

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If a property is being developed for rental, connectivity can continue into the letting phase.

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The development internet may support the building throughout refurbishment and marketing.

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The finished property may then move onto another appropriate internet arrangement for the tenancy.

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For HMOs, holiday accommodation, rural rentals and other managed property models, landlord supplied internet may make particular sense.

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From Development to Sale

 

If the property is being sold, the developer may not want to enter into a long conventional broadband commitment at all.

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Internet is useful during the project.

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Useful while the property is marketed.

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Then the purchaser can make their own permanent broadband choice after completion.

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That can be a much cleaner model than installing a fixed service principally for a few months of development use.

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Starlink for Developers With Several Projects

 

This is where the proposition becomes particularly interesting.

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A professional property developer may have several sites operating simultaneously.

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One is being stripped out.

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Another is at first fix.

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A third is being marketed.

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Starlink's current UK business service allows customers to add multiple locations to one account and remotely manage multiple Starlink kits from a single dashboard.

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That makes the technology potentially useful at portfolio rather than merely individual property level.

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Instead of thinking about broadband separately every time you purchase a building, connectivity can become part of the standard development setup.

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Starlink Business for Property Development

 

Property development is a commercial activity, so the service plan matters.

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Starlink currently states that its Residential plans are intended for personal, family or household use and are not permitted for business or enterprise use. Its Priority services are designed for higher demand users including businesses.

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Developers should therefore look at the appropriate business or Priority service rather than assuming a normal Residential package is suitable for development operations.

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Starlink's UK Fixed Site business service currently specifically identifies construction as one of its use cases and supports multiple locations within an account.

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Fixed Site Internet for a Development Property

 

Where Starlink is being installed at one project for a significant period, a suitable Fixed Site business service may be the logical option.

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Current UK business options include several Local Priority data levels intended for different numbers of users and bandwidth requirements.

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There is little value in automatically selecting the largest package.

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A small residential project with a few users has very different requirements from a large construction operation supporting dozens of people.

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Choose according to the project.

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What If You Want to Move Equipment Between Projects?

 

This needs to be considered separately from simply managing multiple fixed locations.

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Starlink offers different fixed and mobility services, and the permitted use depends upon the specific plan.

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A developer attracted specifically by the ability to move equipment repeatedly between properties should therefore check the current Starlink business mobility options before ordering rather than assuming that every Fixed Site plan can be used in that way.

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APN Connect would always recommend choosing the service around the intended real world use.

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Quick Setup Can Matter More Than Maximum Speed

 

Property developers do not necessarily need gigabit internet on every project.

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They need connectivity that is:

• Available quickly

• Reliable enough for everyday project work

• Capable of supporting several devices

• Straightforward to deploy

• Independent of unfinished building infrastructure

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Starlink describes its business equipment as designed for self installation and says customers can get online quickly where the equipment has suitable sky visibility.

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For a temporary development property, that practical flexibility can matter more than chasing the fastest theoretical broadband package.

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What Does Starlink Need at a Development Site?

 

There are several basic requirements.

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Power

The Starlink equipment needs electricity.

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Suitable sky visibility

Buildings, trees and other obstructions can affect satellite connectivity.

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A safe installation position

Temporary does not mean careless.

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Equipment should be positioned securely and should not create a hazard or be placed somewhere vulnerable to construction activity.

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The correct service plan

Commercial development use should be matched to an appropriate Starlink business service.

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Don't Put the Equipment in the Middle of the Building Work

 

This sounds obvious, but development sites change constantly.

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Scaffolding goes up.

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Materials arrive.

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Temporary roofs appear.

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Extensions are constructed.

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A clear view of the sky at the beginning of the project may become obstructed later.

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The Starlink position should therefore be considered alongside the changing development rather than treated as completely fixed from day one.

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Starlink or 4G and 5G for Property Development?

 

Mobile broadband can also be an excellent temporary site solution.

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Where 5G coverage is strong, a mobile router may be quick and inexpensive.

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Starlink becomes more interesting where:

• mobile reception is weak
• the property is rural
• fixed broadband is unavailable
• the existing service has been disconnected
• you want satellite based connectivity
• several development locations need managing
• the project will operate for a significant period

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Neither technology automatically wins.

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The best solution depends on the site.

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Starlink or Fixed Fibre?

 

Again, if excellent fibre is already installed and working, there may be no reason to remove it.

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The development case for Starlink becomes strongest when the permanent fixed infrastructure either does not exist yet or is likely to be disrupted during the works.

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A developer should solve the actual connectivity problem, not change technology simply for novelty.

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Use Temporary Internet to Plan Permanent Internet Better

 

There is another benefit.

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You do not have to decide the finished broadband arrangement on day one.

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Keep the development connected temporarily.

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Then design the permanent network around the completed property.

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Where will the home office be?

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Where will televisions go?

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Does the extension need an access point?

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Will there be a garden office?

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Where should the incoming broadband equipment be located?

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Does the property need Ethernet?

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That produces a better finished home than simply placing the router wherever an old telephone socket happened to be.

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Who Should Consider Starlink for Property Development?

 

Starlink is particularly worth investigating if you:

• buy properties requiring substantial refurbishment
• develop before selling or letting
• regularly work with empty properties
• need temporary site internet
• rely on CCTV or remote monitoring
• manage several development locations
• operate in rural areas
• regularly lose existing broadband during works
• want connectivity before permanent broadband is installed
• need access to cloud based project information from site

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For a light cosmetic refurbishment in a property with excellent fibre already working, it may offer little advantage.

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For a substantial development where the property will change dramatically over several months, the proposition is much stronger.

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Connect the Project Before You Connect the Finished Home

 

A property does not suddenly need internet on the day somebody moves in.

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For developers, connectivity can be useful from the moment the keys are collected.

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During design.

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During refurbishment.

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During security monitoring.

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During marketing.

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And right through to sale or letting.

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Starlink gives property developers another way to keep projects connected without making the unfinished building dependent upon its final fixed broadband infrastructure.